The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (20th Century Fox) (1959)

Double Take... No, this is not a double exposure. It’s Clifton Webb with his two (count em) families, a total of seventeen (count ’em) children, all comprising the remarkably strange world of “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” the story about the celluloid-collared porkpacker who had two families—one in Harrisburg, the other in Philadelphia so that he never had to travel too far to kiss his children good night. Co-starring in the CinemaScope, De Luxe Color madcap frolic are Dorothy McGuire, Charles Coburn, Jill St. John and Ron Ely. Opens at the ‘Theatre. Mat 2C Penny Antes On Pennypacker The stunt man assigned to | double for Clifton Webb in “The | Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker” scene where he roller skates up the main street of Harrisburg, Pa., fell and injured his back while attempting the first take on the scene. Webb then put the skates on himself, and literally sailed through the take although the dry-witted comedian insisted he’d never pkated before. * % Charles Gihaen: starring in “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” celebrated his eighty first birthday on the set of the comedy laugh-riot, his seventieth picture since entering motion pictures in 1938. Before that, Coburn was a successful stage actor. So * Bo Jill St. John, starring in “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” suffered some painful bruises while filming the picture on the Twentieth Century-Fox set. Jill fell from a high wheel 1890 bike she was riding and was laid up for two days before being allowed to go on with her role in the comes: Clifton Webb, ree ae “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” has starred in a number of pictures having to do with children; in fact, he has fathered approximately 30 children in his film roles. But he is in fact, one of Hollywood’s most confirmed bachelors. Dorothy McGuire, starring with Clifton Webb in Twentieth Century-Fox’s “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” now at the Theatre, was so excited at the prospect ‘of playing “Ma Pennypacker” in the film, that she flew back from a vacation in Spain to play the role. Her family stayed on in Spain until the filming was ended and Dorothy rejoined them. B’way Play Now Film “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” Twentieth CenturyFox’s CinemaScope De Luxe Color production of the hit play which ran for 221 performances on Broadway and for a year in England, opens EGEEN G2 c..-.« creteaee Written for the stage by Liam O’Brien, the story was scripted by Walter Reisch, and is a specially adapted version for the screen and the talents of stars Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire and Charles Coburn. Lovely Jill St. John and Ron Ely also star in the Charles Brackett produced film. Originally created by Burgess Meredith on the stage, the title role of the ‘Pennypacker’ story is played by Webb, in the hilarious manner of his other great comedy characterizations. Directed by master laughmaker, Henry Levin, whose “A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed” won the Gold Prize Award at the International Humor Festival in Italy, “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker” is another dividend in _highhumored screen entertainment. Stale Perieye. 80,6 “Sere Part—Webb Clifton Webb, the elegant, witty star of Twentieth Cen tury-Fox’s “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” opening.... Atunewers fens Theatre, is one of those actors whom it is almost impossible to disassociate from his screen roles; to know ; who is Webb and who is Waldo Lydecker, or Belvedere or, in the case of this most current film, who is ‘Pennypacker.’ In his first movie, “Laura,” he played a man-about town, ele gant, charming and suave, all of | which he really is; in the ‘Belvedere’ films, he was an expert at yoga, philosophy and psychology, so is Webb; and in ‘Pennypacker,’ he and the fictional character he portrays “Horace Pennypacker, Jr.,” are alike in that they are both pacesetters and ultra-modern. Webb stars in the Charles Brackett produced CinemaScope, De Luxe Color picture with Dorothy McGuire, Charles Coburn, Jill St. John and Ron Ely. So, from past and present history and practice, it is easy to see that Webb and his roles are much alike, except that each role exhibits a different facet of the ‘Remarkable’ Clifton Webb. However, there are differences too. Webb is a _ confirmed bachelor, while ‘Pennypacker’ is not only very much a family man, but a two-family man with a total of 17 children located in two Pennsylvania cities. Also, for all his imaginative approaches to life, ‘Pennypacker’ is a meat packer. While Webb disdainfully shuns any but the most elegant of professions or endeavors. A collector of fine art, a scholar and a gracious bon vivant who would put an 18th century nobleman to shame, Webb would never be found near a meat-packing plant. In the future, though, when one thinks of Clifton Webb, it will also be necessary to think of “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” for, if past roles are any indication, they will become inseparable. Ma To Madcaps When Dorothy McGuire arrived on the set of “The Re markable Mr. Pennypacker,” CinemaScope, De Luxe Color AilIeHOw. Atm Oe pecs eesics soe errors Theatre, for the first day of filming, she was confronted with a strange, madcap sight. Clifton Webb, clad in a white linen suit, was roller skating around the set, Charles Coburn was lying on a board snoring, Jill St. John was running about barefooted, Ron Ely was hurdling park benches and Ray Stricklyn and David Nelson were climbing about in a tree. No, everyone hadn’t gone mad, it was just each performer limbering up for his activities in the craziest situation comedy ever to come out of Hollywood. Miss McGuire is quite sane in the Henry Levin directed film, but the rest of her family, however, are the most delightfully funny collection of maniacs ever assembled before a camera. ‘The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker CinemaScope-De Luxe Color Frolic (Advance) Take a wealthy porkpacker named ‘Pennypacker’ (yes, that’s right, a porkpacker named ‘Pennypacker,’ add seventeen children (all his), throw in an outraged min Coburn At 81 Charles Coburn, the venerable and venerated first actor of the world of motion picture comedy, appears in his most hilarious role as the father of Twentieth Century-Fox’s “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” CinemaSeope, De Luxe Color production currently at the Theatre. The 81-year-old Coburn, who has played Shakespeare as well as some of the most memorable comedy roles of all time, costars in the picture with Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire, Jill St. John and Ron Ely. Born in Savannah, Georgia, in what was then the post-war South, Coburn became an actor at the age of 14 and, before making his first motion picture in 1937, played in 18 Shakespearian plays with his late wife, the former Ivah Wills — more Shakespearian plays than any other famous husband-wife acting team, including the great Sothern and Marlowe. In ‘Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,’ he plays the role of “Grandpa Pennypacker,” father of Clifton Webb and the grandfather of seventeen little ‘Pennypackers.’ As the blustering, bewildered ancestor of this madcap clan, he turns in one of the funniest performances of his long career. <0, 07 o 8. 0 6 ele From Guns To Bibles No sooner had Ron Ely gotten up out of the dust of a western roadway and wiped the powder marks away, than he found himself wearing a reversed collar while standing in the middle of a main square of a Pennsylvania town of the 1890’s. Ron, starring with Clifton Webb in Twentieth CenturyFox’s CinemaScope, De Luxe Color film, “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” now at the Pade iece tia Theatre, had been the young deputy sheriff shot by the fiendish Robert Evans in “The Fiend Who Walked the West.” His new part in the Henry Levin directed film calls for him to walk with sanity through the maddest situation comedy ever to hit the screen. He has to stand by while Clifton Webb tries to explain away nine extra children to his seething wife, played by Miss McGuire. At no time could Ron become involved in the highly hilarious action, except as a counterpoint figure. His success is evident in the finished print of “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” one of the most remarkable films ever made about a remarkably funny character. Dorothy McGuire stars as “Ma Pennypacker” in Twentieth Century-Fox’s “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” opening.... at the Theatre in CinemaScope, De Luxe Color. Mat1A Pennypackerville There is a strange, mad world which exists only as far away as your motion picture theatre. It is inhabited by strangely clad people who ride the backs of fire engines, roller skate down main streets in knickers and white linen jackets, chase cows with umbrellas and maintain multiple families which are justified on the basis of geography. This, and more, is the remarkable world of “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” Clifton Webb’s latest laugh riot for Twentieth Century-Fox now at | the Theatre. Also starring Dorothy McGuire, Charles Coburn, Jill St. John and Ron Ely, the Charles Brackett produced, Henry Levin directed comedy tells of a successful porkpacker of the 1890’s who, having to spend time at two plants—one in Harrisburg, the other in Philadelphia—sets up an additional family in the latter city. When this information seeps back to the Harrisburg family after 17 or 18 years, reason flies for cover as the laughs and the brickbats sail from one end of the CinemaScope screen to the other in brilliant De Luxe Color arcs. In addition to the stars, ‘Pennypacker’ features such important talent as Ray Stricklyn, David Nelson, Dorothy Stickney, Larry Gates and Richard Deacon. The picture is based on the Broadway hit play authored by Liam O’Brien. 8 6 4.0 © © 6.0) 678 # ister, a lovesick young giant, a shocked spinster, a howling grandfather (also named ‘Pennypacker’ and a_ porkpacker) and bring to a boil with a wife who wants to know where the extra nine kids came from, and you have the recipe for the most hilarious Clifton Webb movie since the ‘Mr. Belvedere’ series. Of course, you can’t test this recipe for mayhem and madness at your kitchen range, but you can sample it at the (Theatre, OMe. a... 2: , when “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker,” Twentieth Century-Fox’s CinemaScope, De Luxe Color laugh riot, opens locally. With Dorothy McGuire as the confused and irate wife, Charles Coburn as the elder but no wiser ‘Pennypacker,’ Jill St. John as the lovely little porkpacker’s daughter, and Ron Ely, as the minister’s son who can’t make bigamist or bluebeard out of Jill’s father, the Charles Brackett production develops from a high point of laughter into a chaos of side-splitting comedy. As directed by Henry Levin and written by Walter Reisch, from the hit play by Liam O’Brien, “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker” brings to the sereen the most zany situation comedy of our times, the play that ran so long the juveniles started collecting social security. Webb is “Pa Pennypacker,” the man born one hundred years before his time, who believes in total progress, both in life and in love. He roller skates to work, drives an auto at a time when G. M’s main Detroit plant is still a vacant lot and worst of all — keeps two families, one in Philadelphia, the other in Harrisburg so that he doesn’t have to travel back and forth to kiss his children goodnight. When Pa’s Harrisburg family (Miss McGuire and Miss St. John plus seven little porkpackers) learn of his Philadelphia family (headed by Ray Stricklyn) the laughs come so fast and furiously that the story enters the kind of insane no man’s land that only the incomparable Clifton Webb can travel through. In addition to the mirthful situations, “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker” offers some of the brightest new faces to be developed by the Twentieth Century-Fox talent school. There are, in addition to those already mentioned, such stars of the future in key roles as David Nelson, son of Ozzie and Harriet, Larry Gates and Richard Deacon. Adding to the merriment is Dorothy Stickney, longtime star of “Life With Father.” Filmed entirely in Hollywood with the massive facilities of the studio in evidence on all sides, “The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker” comes through as the most sparkling comedy of the year—one you’ll want your friends to see again with you. AJC CUTER THE? (EM CHA LES HME HAD TyvvVO VIVES. AND LED TWO LIVES = -THE REMARKABIE MR. PENNYPACKER NeMaScoPE coioR ~ STRIGKLYN i STICKNEY: GATES vO -COBURN: THN. FLY CHARLES BRACKETT 24-SHEET LEVIN =»: WALTER REISCR 2 LAM O'BRIEN 11 x 14's e TE TEE TTT ee Te ee GSU Ne OUP UUT TTD POE TTY OED GT TEED CEL SC TE UE PE PU UE Se CS Se Pe ee D9 8 x 10 B/W STILLS 8 x 10 GLO-COLOR STILLS SLIDE ALSO AVAILABLE 14 x 36 INSERT CARD 14 x 22 WINDOW CARD 22 x 28 PHOTO ORDER ALL ACCESSORIES FROM N.S.S. POSTERS and ACCESSORIES Pray TY OTT TUTTE ATT SDT TT EO RO Ce GOOG COO COAL tL ob 6-SHEET “TL Seen eet mee UR UA US MURR OUR MEU Imma LUM CTE TT onl lel eel ated eini eae 8 LL mT ON DOROTHY CHARLES WEBB : ir THEY GAVE RON McGUIRE ae dE el | BoE 3-SHEET SECTIONAL VALANCE 3-Pc. STREAMER USHER’S BADGE | ac tii sami i 1-SHEET DE LUXE FLUORESCENT SATIN ACCESSORIES NAT'L FLAG & DISPLAY CO. 43 W. 21 St., N. Y. 10 (In Canada: Theatre Poster Service Toronto, Ont.) ON ORDER FROM 227 Victoria St., PUTT LLL Ee Oe Oh 1 oo a)